242 THE OSAGE TRIBE [bth. ann. 36 



fastciiings to the right foot to correspond with the Seven Songs of 

 tlie Ho^'-ga division. When the symboUc moccasins have been 

 finished meat and other provisions are distributed among the 

 No°'-ho°-zhi°-ga, who tlicn adjourn until the following morning. 



Ki'-No**, OR Painting Ceremony 



Before sunrise of the next morning the No"'-ho''-zhi"-ga assemble 

 at the house of the candidate for the Ki'-no", or Painting Ceremony. 

 The No"'-ho"-zhi°-ga paint their faces according to the oustom of 

 their respective divisions and subdivisions. The No'''-ho"-zhi''-ga of 

 the Tsi'-zhu Division first paint their faces red, after which thej* put 

 upon their foreheads a bit of the soil of the earth. 



The ceremonial attire of the Sho'-ka at this time consists of a 

 buffalo robe, which he wears with the hair outside and fastened with 

 a thong to his waist, and wears a pair of moccasins of buffalo skin, 

 cut and fashioned in the same manner as those made for the Xo'-ka. 

 When the Sho'-ka had put on his ceremonial attire, he and the can- 

 didate go to the house of the Xo'-ka, carrying with them a buffalo 

 robe, a woven band of buffalo hair, a shell gorget, a woven girdle of 

 buffalo hair, and a pair of the moccasins that were made ceremonially. 

 The Sho'-ka leads the way, carrying on his arm his little pipe, the 

 badge of his office. The candidate is accompanied by the A'-ki-ho" 

 Xo'-ka chosen by him to recite the wi'-gi-es, to sing the songs, and to 

 conduct the ceremonies. 



When the three men have entered the Xo'-ka's house and taken 

 their ])laces, the A'-ki-ho" Xo'-ka recites the following wi'-gi-e, 

 entitletl : 



Kl'-NON Wl'-GI-E 



(Osage version, p. 431; literal translation, p. 575) 



1. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



2. They spake to one another, saying: What shall the little ones use 



to paint their bodies 1 



3. Verily, at that time and place, 



4. They gathered together four stones, 



5. Which they arranged in a pile, leaning one against the other. 



6. Verily, at that time and place, 



7. They gathered together the small dead branches of the surround- 



ing trees 



8. And broke them to pieces, making a din of crackling sounds. 



9. Verily, at that time and place, 



10. They thrust the pieces of dead branches underneath the stones 



and in the spaces between them. 



11. Verily, at that time and place, 



12. They set fire to the pile of dead branches and the stones 



